Tongs.



J. H. KUHNS.

TONGS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 10, 1913.

1 1 1 5,2 1 5. Patented 0012.27, 1914.

UNITED s'r atras rrrrnrrr orrioa.

JAMES H. KU'HNS, or TULSA, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR or onn narir ro J. n.wasnnve- TON, an, or TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

TO'NGS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JAMES H. KUHNS, a citizenof the United States, and a resident oi Tulsa, in the county of Tulsaand State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Improvement inTongs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in tongs and has for its object toprovide tongs 0 the character specified, wherein an operating lever orhandle is provided with which cooperates a curved short lever orgripping jaw, the improved tongs being especially adapted for use withpipe or other articles of circular cross section, and wherein thearticle may bequickly grasped or released.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a side view of the improved tongs, Fig. 2is a partial bottom plan view of "Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsection, and Fig. 4 is a partial top plan view of a modified form.

The present embodiment oi the invention comprises a handle or lever 1,having one of its ends rounded to form a grip, while at its other endthe lever is provided with a laterally extending lug 2. The lever isalso enlarged laterally adjacent to the lug at each side as indicated at3.

The end of the lever adjacent to the lugs 3 constitutes a fixed grippingjaw, and the movable jaw is in the form of a curved lever a, one end ofthe said lever being longitudinally slotted to form oppositely arrangedears or lugs 5, which engage opposite sides of the lug 2, and arepivoted thereto by a rivet 6, or the like.

It will be noted from an inspection of Fig. 3, that the end of the lug 2is rounded to permit a limited rocking movement of the jaw i withrespect to the lever 1. The concave edge of the movable jaw is arrangedinward, and since the outer edge of the lug 2 is also concave, as shownat 7, in Figs. 1 and 2, a space is provided for receiving the pipe orother article to be grasped.

Near the free end of the movable jaw, the said jaw is transverselyrecessed as shown at 8, and a. block 9 of steel or the like, is arrangedwithin the recess, the free sharp corner of the said block beingextended beyond the concave edge of the movable jaw.

The improved tongs will be constructed in various sizes for graspingarticles of various diameter.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application fi1ed October 10, 1913.

Patented Oct. 2'7, 1914.

Serial No. 794,395.

In use, the movable jaw is opened or rocked away from the portion 3 ofthe lever 1, to permit the article to be inserted in the space betweenthe jaws. When the pipe or other article is within this space, the freeend of the lever 1 is pulled toward the operator. This clamps the jawson the pipe, the gripping edge 3 of the lever 1 being forced toward theblock 9, to firmly grip the pipe or other article between the two jaws.When the pipe has been turned, as far as may be convenient, the movementof the free end of the lever l is reversed, the said free end being nowmoved away from the operator. This movement rocks the jaws open orpartially open to permit the tongs to be moved angularly with respect tothe pipe to obtain a fresh grip. A repetition of this movement willcomplete the separation of the connection of the pipe or other article.

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 4-, the lever 10 whichcorresponds to the lever 1 of Figs. 1 to 8, is provided with a pair oflaterally spaced lateral lugs 11, the said lugs being shaped tocorrespond with the lug 2 of theiirst-described construction.

The movable jaw 12 corresponds in con tour to the jaw 4L of Fig. 1, butthe said jaw is provided with a single lug 13, which is received betweenthe lugs 11, and a pivot pin 14 is passed through registering openingsin the lugs 11 and 13, to pivotally connect the movable jaw to the fixedjaw. The said jaw 12 is provided with a block 15 of steel or like hardmaterial arranged in the same manner as the block 9 of Figs. 1 to 3.

The outer ends of the lugs 11 are rounded in the same manner as theouter end of the lug 2 to permit slight rocking movement of the movablejaw, and the operation is precisely the same as the construction shownin Figs. 1 to 3.

It will be understood that when the improved wrench is in engagementwith a pipe, the pipe will be engaged at three points, namely, by thefree edge of the block 9, by the end 3 of the long lever or handle, andby the ends of the lugs 5 of the short lever or, movable jaw. The endsof the lugs 5 of the end of the lug 13 in the construction of Fig. 4 andthe block engage at directly opposite points.

I claim:----- l. Tongs of the character specified, and

ing concave and the junction between the said end of the lever and theface remote from the lug constituting a fixed gripping jaw, anarc-shaped movable gripping jaw longitudinally slotted at one end toform spaced lugs, said lugs being received on opposite sides of the lugof the lever, a pivot pin passing through the lugs intermediate the endsof the movable jaw for pivotally connecting the movable aw to the lever,said movable jaw being arranged with its concave edge inwardly, theouter end of the lug off the lever rounded to permit a limited rockingmovement of the movable jaw, said movable jaw having near its free endand on its inner edge a transverse recess and a block of hard materialseated in the recess and having one of its edges extending beyond theedge of the jaw.

2. Tongs of the character specified, and comprising a lever provided atone end with a laterally extended lug, the edge of the lug and the endof the lever adjacent thereto being concave and the junction between thesaid end of the lever and the face remote from the lug constituting afixed gripping jaw, an arc-shaped movable gripping jaw longitudinallyslotted at one end to form spaced lugs, said lugs being received onopposite sides of the lug of the lever, and a pivot pin passing throughthe lugs intermediate the ends of the movable jaw for pivotallyconnecting the movable jaw to the lever, said movable aw being arrangedwith its concave edge inwardly, the outer end of the lug of the leverbeing rounded to permit a limited rocking movement of the movable jaw. v

3. Tongs of the character specified, and comprising a lever having oneof its ends concave and having an extension at the said end, saidextension being lateral and longi tudinal with respect to the lever amovable jaw of arc-shape arranged with its concave edge toward theconcave end of the lever and pivoted to the extension intermediate theends of the movable jaw, the outer end of the extension being rounded topermit a limited rocking movement of the movable'j aw, and said movablejaw having a transverse rib of hard material on its concave edge andnear the free end of the jaw.

v p j 1 JAMES i-i, KUHNS.

Witnesses I P. A. MGNEAL,

B. J. BURKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. H

